This Sunday’s Times Magazine isn’t online yet, but The Politicker got an early look at the grinning-Mark-Warner cover and the cover story, by Matt Bai. He portrays Warner as the likeliest anti-Hillary, and as a talented guy who’s not quite ready for prime time, and apparently unwilling to take the only path Bai sees as a potential winner: running against the establishment.
Bai notes Hillary’s strength, and Warner’s consequent weakness, with African-American voters, and quotes Joe Trippi on Warner’s hopes: “It’s not possible…. The way for Mark Warner? Leave the freakin’ party.” (Of course, Trippi would say that.) Bai also notes that Warner is running as Bill Clinton ’92; but Clinton was lucky enough to have that year’s New York superstar, Mario Cuomo, get out of the way.
Also: Is March 2006 the month you really want to be the flavor of?
In the piece, Warner doesn’t engage Hillary directly, though Bai gives it a shot:
We stared at each other. “O.K.,” I said. “But is she electable?”
“If she decides to run, she’ll be the frontrunner,” Warner replied carefully.
